DAYTON­­—Columbia Pulp LLC announced on February 15, 2021, that they will be re-starting their Lyons Ferry Pulp Plant in Columbia County after shutting down due to COVID 19 concerns in April 2020.

During the prolonged shutdown, the company has worked on obtaining additional funding to perform modifications to the plant aimed at increasing production throughput. The company plans to re-commission the plant as well as implementing process improvements over the next 8-12 weeks.

“We’re excited in taking this next step for Columbia Pulp. The marketplace is looking for our innovative products and we’re better prepared than ever before to meet that challenge” says NW Straw Pulp CEO, John Begley.

It is expected the facility will restart saleable production in early May. Columbia Pulp Lyons Ferry Plant, when fully operational, will employ over 90 full time maintenance and production employees.

Columbia Pulp is North America’s first tree-free market pulp mill, using wheat farmers’ waste straw to create pulp for paper products as well as biopolymers for a variety of industrial uses.